Nighttime Rendezvous
by Orlissa92
Summary: Zutara Week 2012, Day 7: Seasons. Zuko and Katara meet in the royal gardens not long before she leaves for the South Pole after the war, and have a rather interesting conversation.


**A/N: Last day of Zutara Week *sniffs* Well, see you next year! :) Anyway, this story is closely related to one of my other one-shots, Conversations Over Tea. You might one that read first, but I think it's understandable without that story as well. Enjoy! WARNING: I didn't have time to proofread it, but I hope I didn't make any mistakes. But I'll swear I'll look this over tomorrow.  
Rating: K+  
Word Count: 1059  
Disclaimer: [Insert funny text here that tells you I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender]**

It's well after sundown, the palace has quieted, most residents and servants have gone to sleep, but Zuko is out there by the turtleduck pond, waiting.

For a moment he is even afraid that she won't come – but, of course, he doesn't need to worry.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting" Katara says, walking towards him a leisure pace, smiling all the way. "Sokka wouldn't go to sleep."

She reaches him, sits by him and plants a kiss on his scarred cheek.

It's pointless to try to keep their little nighttime rendezvous secret – one of the servants saw them a few nights ago, and if one servant knows something, then it's known by the entire palace – but they do, anyway.

He looks at her, studying her from head to toe. She is wearing a new dress, one he recognizes as the work of the palace's seamstress. It's red, made of light material, with short sleeves and high neck. The skirt barely reaches her knees. He thinks that it's maybe a little bit skimpy – the night is getting chilly –, but he is not complaining. Not at all.

"This weather is really getting on my nerves," she says, just like she is reading his thoughts. "Just when I think that I am finally getting used to it, or it gets a little bit cooler, then bam! Here comes a heat wave." She grunts, making him laugh.

"It's not that bad… you just need some time to adjust."

Her eyebrows knit together.

"Zuko, I have been in this country for months!"

"Well, then maybe you need a little bit… more time."

She leans against him, hugging his arm, her knees pulled to her chest.

"Just please tell me that it gets better as the year wears one. Tell me that it snows during winter."

His lips are pulled into an amused smirk.

"It does get better – if by that, you mean cooler – but not that much."

"So no snow?" she asks just like a child.

"No, but we do have a lot of rain in springtime." Then, just to make her smile, he adds: "I'll go out into the rain with you, if you want me to. We can spar then. You would have a great advantage."

She veils her chuckle with a snort.

"Please, like I would need that."

He laughs with her for a moment, then, before she could continue this topic, he changes the flow of the conversation.

"So… how was your day?" he asks, not being able to hide his sly smile. He can only hope that she doesn't see it in the dim light of the moon.

"Kind of boring, actually. Suki, Toph and I took over the spa this morning. I let your servants torture me. Look!" She takes his hand and brings it down to her shin. It's hairless and soft, as a baby's. He can't say that he doesn't find it pleasant. "You have some strange costumes here," she comments, but only gets some mumbling as answer. "I take it you like it," she smile at him and he nods, dragging his hand from her shin to her waist, pulling her skirt up a little in the process. "Then I went to the library," she continues. "Would you mind if I took some scrolls with me? I really want to know more about Fire Nation history. You know, just in case." She shrugs with a way too innocent smile on her face. She doesn't say what case she is talking about, but he understands anyway. He smiles at her hint.

"Not, not at all. Take as many as you want. Just tell the librarian that I gave you permission to do so." His hand continues its journey upwards, grazing the side of her breast, resting at the point where her neck and shoulder meet.

She sighs, the smile disappearing from her face.

"I don't even want to think about that we are leaving in three days," she snuggles closer to him, technically folding herself into his arms.

"Hey," he finally places his hand on her head, caressing her hair. "It's only a temporary goodbye. We'll all meet in Ba Sing Se in a few weeks."

"I know, but still… I don't wanna leave you."

"You won't," he kisses her temple. "Tell me, what else did you do? Didn't something… strange happen?" He is getting excited about this.

She pulls away suddenly, looking at him with big eyes.

"What do you mean, Zuko? Should I…?"

"I am not saying that you should have, only that if, I don't know, somebody said something, or something like that…" Great. He is babbling now.

She arches one eyebrow.

"You have something going on, don't you?"

"Maybe."

She turns from him, leaning against the same tree he is resting against, their arms pressed together.

"Now that you are bringing this up… Dad was a little strange during dinner. He was almost… careful around me. As if…" The pieces are starting to fall together in her mind. "As If he knew something I don't…" She moves suddenly, and before he could blink, she is straddling him. "You talked with him, didn't you?" she asks in a hopeful voice.

"Well, I didn't," he starts, and her smile fades. "But uncle might have." He can't help teasing her a little.

"And? What did my father say?"

Zuko wants to play with her a little more. Wants to keep her unsure a little longer. But seeing the look on her face, that hopeful expectation in her eyes, her smile… He can't.

"Well, I guess you'd better start getting used to this weather."

She shrieks a little, then the next thing he knows is that she is kissing him, full on the mouth, with such a passion she has never showed him before. Before long they are rolling on the soft turf, he smiling like an idiot, Katara laughing and crying at the same time.

When they finally pull apart, Zuko laying on his back, Katara sitting on top of him, her legs either side of his waist, she beams at him – he can't help but be amazed how beautiful is she and wonder what he has done to deserve someone like her – she says, smiling, in a playful tone.

"You know what? I think this weather is starting to grow on me, anyway."


End file.
